Ernie Clement is a solid big league ballplayer. The Toronto Blue Jays right-handed hitter can play a number of positions across the infield and hardly ever strikes out.
But this season, Clement has a superpower: Against left-handed pitchers, he hits as well as Barry Bonds.
Seriously.
Clement entered Friday night with a 1.043 OPS this season against lefties. Bonds’ career OPS, against everyone, was 1.051.
But then Clement leapfrogged Bonds quickly against Athletics lefty Jeffrey Springs on Friday in Toronto.
In Clement’s first at bat, he doubled.
And then in his second, he homered.
A night after homering and driving in five runs, Clement was on the board yet again. And he soon singled in his third at bat Friday night.
Ernie Clement homers for the second game in a row! ☄️
(🎥: @BlueJays)pic.twitter.com/SDL0cqOPZj
— theScore (@theScore) May 31, 2025
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Clement had some rough times earlier in his MLB career. After starring at Brighton (NY) High School and the University of Virginia, Clement couldn’t stick with Cleveland or Oakland.
He made a red-hot Blue Jays debut in 2023, with a .280 average.
And after being cold for a while in 2024, he ended at .263 with a career-high 12 homers and 12 steals.
Clement has been just so-so against righties this season, but he’s an automatic start against southpaws. Right now, he’s as locked in against opposite-handed pitchers as anyone in baseball.
He’s a fun-loving baseball dude who’s beloved by his teammates even when he isn’t hitting like this. But when Clement is, there isn’t a better story in Toronto than the hard-working infielder who can’t stop hitting like one of the greatest hitters ever when there’s a lefty on the mound.
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